Shrinkage compensating device



Feb. 5, 1935. Q w JOHNSON v SHRINKAGEV COMPENSATING DEVICE Filed June15, 1954 Patented Feb. 5, 1935 *GE (CQENSA'IENG DEVECE Oscar Walter.loon, @hicagaill. Application .llune 15, NM, Serial No. 73%,695

Thisinventionrelates to improvements in the packaging or wrapping oflamp; shades, having for an object to provide a novel and efiectual formof shrinkage compensating wrapping for lamp shades and like articles, aswell as a highly advantageous and practical means for effecting thesame, whereby with shrinkage of the wrapping material subsequently toits application to the shade or other article, buckling or otherdistortion and resultant damaging thereof will be positively prevented.

It has been and now is the trade custom to wrap strips of cellophane orsimilar materials over and about the sides of certain types of lampshades until the same are fully covered thereby. In this manner, atransparent soil and wear preventive means is accorded to the shade,enabling one to observe its ornamental characteristicsancl at the sametime, avoiding damaging of the shade, as is so often occasioned duringhandling. To: the stated ends, such a covering or wrapping is highlydesirable. However, shades and such other articles as are so wrapped arefrequently buckled or distorted by reason of the subsequent shrinkage ofthe wrapping material. For example, in the instance of a lamp shadewhose sides are to be wrapped about with cellophane or kindredmaterials, it is necessary for durability and permanency of the wrappingthat the utilized material shall be snugly or comparatively tautlyengaged thereabout. When a lamp shade thus wrapped is left for but abrief period of time, the material with which its sides are wrapped,shrinks to such an extent that the said sides are buckled or distortedby t he incident contraction, with the result that the shade is moreoften so badly damaged as to be unfit for usage.

Through the instrumentalities of my invention, I am enabled to efiectthe packaging or wrapping of a lamp shade with cellophane or similarshrinkable materials in such a manner as to permit of automaticcompensation for the shrinkage of the wrapping material, and at the sametime, to maintain the wrappings of the shade in taut and firm engagementover and about its sides. Thus, by reason of the automatic shrinkagecompensation qualities of my improved shade wrapping,

buckling and all other similar distortion of the shade sides will bepositively eliminated, irrespective of the period of time for which thewrapping material is left engaged about the shade sides. The advantagesof such a packaging or wrapping will immediately manifest themselves toworkers I skilled in this particular art, attention being invited to thefact that shades when so wrappfidl by a manufacturer may be kept forindefinite periods of time in the stock of a merchandiser without havingdamage done thereto by reason of the shrinkage of the cellophanewrapping material with which the shades are provided.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious, and in partpointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and. its mode of operation may be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains, I have inthe accompanying drawing and in the detailed description basedthereupon, set out one embodiment of my invention.

In this drawing: u

Figure l is a perspective view of a shade utilizing the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the wrapped shadeand the compensating device holder engaged therewith as during awrapping operation, and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through a shadeutilizing the invention and showing the engagement of the compensatingdevice holder with the compensating device during the wrapping operationof the shade, the section being taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2,looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

Having more particular reference to the drawing, in connection withwhich like characters of reference will designate corresponding partsthroughout, the invention may be stated to comprise, first, a shrinkagecompensating device, indicated by the numeral 1, and second, a holder 2for facilitating proper positioning of the compensating device withrespect to a lamp shade in process of being wrapped with cellophane orsimilar material.

The compensating device 1 consists. of an annulus formed of a singlelength of spring wire, the free ends of which are arranged inoverlapping relationship, as indicated by the numeral 3. Consequentlythereupon, it will be understood that the compensating device is capableof contractile or expansible adjustmen It is of importance to note, atthis point, that the compensating device 1 is of a diameter less thanthe diameter of the particular shade end adjacent which it is to bepositioned during a lamp r shade cellophane wrapping operation; also,that whereas said compensating device can be arranged adjacent eitherthe upper or lower end of the lamp shade i, I find it preferable toposition the same adjacent to and within the upper end of said s ade,resting or bearing upon adjacent portions of the shade supporting armsor rods of an ordinary or usual attaching bracket 6.

The holder 2 consists of a spider-like device, i. e., a central bodyelement '7 fixedly carrying outwardly radiating legs 8, the freeextremities of which are provided with inwardly bent or disposed fingers9 adapted to snugly engage over adjacent portions of the outer sides ofthe compensating device or annulus 1; it being noted in this connection,that the extremities of the legs 8 carrying the fingers 9 are arrangedin inwardly spaced relation with respect to the adjacent or receivingend of the lamp shade 4 when the holder is in operative position withrespect to the compensating device 1, immediately prior to a wrap pingoperation.

In order that a positive connection may be effected between the holder 2and the attaching bracket 6 of the lamp shade 1 to prevent relativemovement between said holder together with the compensating device 1 andthe receiving end of the lamp shade 4 during the wrapping of the shadesides or like articles, the body portion of said holder is provided witha downwardly extending shank 10, appropriately screw-threaded, as at 11,to allow for the turning of a locking nut 12 into engagement therewithwhen said shank has been snugly engaged through the opening of the lampshade attaching bracket 6.

In usage of the compensating device 1 and the holder 2 during thewrapping of a lamp shade with cellophane strips, a compensating devicesuch as indicated by the numeral 1 is nested within the upper end of theshade 4, resting upon adjacent portions of the aforesaid supporting arms5 in approximately centered position. At this time, the holder 2 has theinwardly disposed or rightangularly bent fingers 9 thereof engaged overadjacent portions of the outer sides of the compensating device 1, andat the same time, the shank 10 is snugly engaged in and through theopening of the shade attaching bracket 6, being temporarily locked infixed engagement therewith by turning the locking nut 12 onto itsscrew-threaded portion 11. It is preferable that the radially disposedlegs 8 of the holder 2 shall be arranged in substantial parallelism tothe lamp shade supporting arms 5 so that the fingers 9 abut againstportions of the same. When thus engaged, it will be readily understoodthat the holder 2 will satisfactorily center the compensating device orannulus with respect to the receiving end of the lamp shade 4maintaining the former in spaced relation to the latter, entirelythereabout, and likewise, preventing longitudinal displacement of saiddevice 1 with respect to the particular receiving end of the lamp shade.Cellophane strips, such as indicated by the numeral 13, or other similarwrapping material, are now tautly and longitudinally wrapped over andabout the shade sides. During such wrapping, the strips of cellophane 13are engaged about and over the compensating device 1, which will berigidly held in position with respect to the aforesaid lamp shade end bymeans of the holder 2. The shade having been completely wrapped with thecellophane material and the ends of such material effectually secured,the locking nut 12 is removed from the screwthreaded portion 11 of theshank 10 of the holder 2 and the holder is drawn outwardly from itsprevious engagement with the shrinkage compensating device, leaving thelatter in a satisfactorily centered position with respect to the shadeend. The inherent spring of the material from which the compensatingdevice 1 is formed is suflicient, upon withdrawal of the holder 2therefrom, to maintain the cellophane wrapping material in substantiallytaut relation to the lamp shade sides. However, with subsequentshrinkage of said cellophane, the device 1 will be permitted to expandand in so doing, will prevent the stresses incident to such shrinkagefrom being directly transmitted to the lamp shade sides, hence,eliminating buckling or similar distortion thereof.

As hereinbefore stated, the peculiar character of the springcompensating device 1 will serve to keep the cellophane wrappingmaterial sufliciently taut about a wrapped lamp shade, hence maintainingthe neatness and effectiveness of the wrapping. Also, the tautness ofthe wrappings will be maintained during shrinkage of the wrappingmaterial since the compensating device 1, with application of outwardpressure thereto from the cellophane wrapping-will be expanded to adegree only sufilcient to compensate for said shrinkage and to preventthe transmission of strain or stresses to the lamp shade sides.

Whereas I have herein illustrated and described, with some degree ofparticularity, the improved compensating device as being formed insubstantially the shape of an annulus, it is to be understood that saiddevice may be as advantageously formed in other shapes, according to theshape of the particular shade to be equipped therewith.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of still furthermodification, and such modification as is within the scope of my claims,I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a lamp shade, an adjustable means arranged inproximity to one of the ends of the shade, being 01' a size less thanthe same, and wrapping material engaged over and about the sides of saidshade and said adjustable means.

2. In combination with a lamp shade, an adjustable means positioned inproximity to one end of the lamp shade and spaced with respect thereto,and wrapping material engaged over and about the sides 01' the shade andsaid means.

3. In combination with a lamp shade, expansible means arranged inproximity to one end of, said shade in inwardly spaced relation thereto,and wrapping material engaged about and over the sides of the shade andsaid means.

4. The combination with a lamp shade having wrapping material engagedabout and over the sides thereof and shrinkage compensating meansinterposed between said, mappings and said shade.

5. A device of the character described, comprising in combination with alamp shade, an expansible means positioned adjacent one end of saidshade in inwardly spaced relation thereto, and means temporarilyengageable with a portion of the shade and with said expansible meansfor securing the latter in immovable relation with respect to theformer.

6. A device of the character described, comprising in combination with alamp shade, spring means engaged in one end of said lamp shade andresting upon the supporting arms of the shade attaching bracket, saidmeans being inwardly spaced with respectto the lamp shade end receivingthe same, and means removably connectable to the lamp shade attachingbracket engaging with said spring means for immovably retaining thesame, at times, with respect to said lamp shade end.

7. A device of the character described, comprising in combination with alamp shade, spring means arranged within the upper end of said shaderesting upon portions of the supporting arms of the shade attachingbracket, said spring means being of a size less than that of the upperend of the shade, a central body portion, radially disposed legs havinginwardly extending fingers on their free extremities carried by the bodyportion, the length of said legs being such as to effect snug engagement01' said fingers over the adjacent portions of the outer sides of saidspring means whereby to inwardly space said spring means from the upperend of the shade, and means for detachably connecting the body portiontothe lamp shade attaching bracket for immovably positioning the samewith respect to the bracket and the shade.

WALTER J OHNSON.

